Professional Documents
Culture Documents
The Wisdom of Trauma Booklet Final
The Wisdom of Trauma Booklet Final
COM
COMPANION BOOKLET
COMPANION BOOKLET
1. TRAUMA DEFINITIONS
— Gabor Maté
1
2. TRAUMA SYMPTOMS
• Disassociation or Denial
• Hyper vigilance
• Hyperactivity
• Difficulty sleeping
2
• Inability to love, nurture or bond with other individuals
• Self-mutilation
3. TYPES OF TRAUMA
Second, a child’s nervous system, up until the age of two, does not
have capacity to self-soothe. She must rely on a caretaker to guide
her to a calmer state. If the caretaker is unable to do so because
she is too dysregulated and frequently angry, anxious or depressed,
then the child’s brain may not develop properly. As a result, the child
grows up with a decreased capacity to control her emotions and be-
haviors. To cope, the adult may either avoid situations which provoke
strong emotions or act them out impulsively. This can lead to social
isolation or frequent conflicts with other. In conclusion, if the child
cannot trust that the caretaker will be there consistently; be there at
all; or without causing intense fear, the child will find ways to adapt to
the abusive or neglectful behavior that can seriously impair her ability
to function as an adult.
5
The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) helps
to control the activity of the amygdala and is
involved in learning that previously threatening
people or places are now safe. Connections
between the mPFC and amygdala are sometimes
not as strong in people who have experienced
trauma. As a result, the mPFC is not as effective
at reducing amygdala reactivity to people, places,
and things that are in fact safe and no longer pre-
dict danger. This can lead to persistent elevations
in fear and anxiety about cues that remind people
of the trauma they experienced.
THEWISDOMOFTRAUMA.COM 6
6. HEALING MODALITIES:
THEWISDOMOFTRAUMA.COM 8
7. TOWARD A TRAUMA-INFORMED SOCIETY
9
Let's work together towards a more inclusive world
and a trauma-informed society where:
THEWISDOMOFTRAUMA.COM
10